7 reasons Malaysia should top your bucket list

First of all, when you arrive in an Asian country, usually a huge everlasting mastodont of a city is the first you'll meet upon arrival. Well, the same goes for Malaysia, but unlike most other huge Asian metropoles, Kuala Lumpur is very easy to navigate your way through. The city hosts awesome food markets and lots of cultural events and as a bonus you find one of the best bars in South East Asia. Alright, obviously we haven't visited them all, but Reggae Bar in Chinatown is a great place to kickstart your night out in Kuala Lumpur!

From big city to beautiful beaches. In general, Malaysia boasts some absolutely fantastic beaches! In the north of Malaysia, you'll find Langkawi off the western coast and Perhentian Islands and Tioman off the eastern coast. And we promise you, no matter what you choose, you won't be dissapointed. Crystal clear water, awesome snorkeling spots and warm white sand between you toes. What else you need? 

Though constant headlines about desforastation of Borneo, the island still boasts one of the world's most unique and rich wildlife. Thanks to a lot of conservation projects, most of the jungle is still intact and absolutely worth a visit! Malaysia shares Borneo with Indonesia, and some of the highlights on the Malaysian side is diving in Sipadan (on the north eastern coast), spotting wildlife, including orangutans, in one of the many national parks, trekking Mt. Kinabalu or enjoying one of the many festivals in Kuching.

Yum! Malaysia treats it's visitors with amazing food. The food scene is actually, due to a very multi cultural population, a mix of the Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cuisine! All well known for dishes with a lot of flavor and with nice fresh vegetables! 

Try Curry Laksa, Maggi Goreng, Rendang or Sambal Udung.

If you're fond of adventure and physical challenges, then you should take the opportunity to climb Malaysia's highest peak, Mt. Kinabalu. The mountain is a UNESCO world heritage site with more than 6,000 species of plants and 326 species of birds, you can probably imagine why. Needless to say, it's a beautiful hike to the top and both the sunset at Laban Rata and the sunrise on the final climb will make some Insta-worthy shots! 

Pro tip: Book well in advance. The trek is popular, and it WILL get sold out.

Malaysia is great if you're only aiming for this one country on your trip, but it's location is ideal if you're looking for a trip with more destinations. Malaysia is right in the center of Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, and you don't get a better offset to a round trip in this part of Asia.

Although prices in Asia has risen a bit over the last decade, it's still really cheap to travel in Malaysia. If you're on a budget, then this is the place for you! You can find quite cheap accommodation, the food is almost for free and local transportion is very budget friendly as well. Of course, you can scale up and make your trip more luxurious, but who needs a fancy 5-star hotel, when you can wake up in a bamboo beach hut to the sound of the bird whistling and waves gently kissing the beach. Yes, Perhentian Island, I am looking at you!